WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume V, Issue 110, 16 June 1866, Page 6

WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

[from tiie correspondent of the '"press".] Hokitika, June 4.

On Friday last, one of the prisoners contrived to effect his escape- from the new gaol adjoining the cemetery. The warder, it is reported, saw him diving into the bush ; but, paralysed by so flagrant a violation of the law, neglected to draw his revolver until there was no man to fire at. The culprit, Bichard Keenan, has not since been recaptured. We shall shortly have a fence round the gaol, and then there will be no excuse for such unfortunate occurrences. We have a tolerably large proportion of villains m our cpmmunity; but it appears, curious to say, that honesty is the best policy, or, m other words, that an honest living is more comfortable and remunerative than a dishonest one. If, however, the different fields of Hokitika should cease to yield payable returns, the shovel will soon give way to the "jemmy," and the rogues and vagabonds will resume their ordinary profession. An instance occurred on Sunday morning last which will show that we have daring and adept blackguards m our very midst. A man, evidently acquainted with the interior of the house, impudently intruded so far as the bedroom where the occupier of the house and his wife were sleeping ; the lady, unfortunately for the thief, awoke, and when convinced of the presence of an intruder, screamed, awoke 4 lier husband, and of course frightened the burglar. He escaped, m spite of pursuit, but the police have arrested a person on suspicion, and if a valuable brooch which he stole can be m any way connected with him, justice may overtake him. The Eveniny Star has been railing at me. 1 forgive it, for it must fill its paper with some trash. I feel confident that the Improvement Committee en miisse do not read the allusions m my letter m the way the Star does. If they do, their rendering is not just The returns from the out districts have at length come m. As anticipated, they do not materially alter the figures of any of the three candidates. Greymouth is the only polling place, except Hokitika, where any votes were recorded at aIL So that Westland voted as follows. Moorhouse. Lance. Hokitika . . 11 ... 2 Greymouth ... 4 ... 1--15 3 Eighteen votes. Mr. Lance is known to many

here ; Mr. Travers, I opine, ia either not well known or too well known, I don't know which. I enclose the West Coast Times commercial report for the week. The following gold has been reported per as. Otago : — Bank of New Zealand, 8706 ozs. ; Bank of New South Wales, 4900 ozs. ; Union Bank, 1800 ozs. ; total, £15,406. The duty paid on this quantity of gold was £1925 15s 3d. On the Ist inst the Gothenburgh arrived from Melbourne with Australian news and about 150 passengers. The s.s. Otago anchored m the roadstead on Saturday. She had about seventy passengers for our port ; she left again the same day with gold for Sydney. The. Telegraph Station, Hokitika, has been increased m size, with a view of providing the increased accommodation which will be necessary when the Grey line is opened. The Postoffice is to be slightly added to, I understand, aud some fifteen additional piivate letter boxes put up. The accounts from the digging townships are good. I enclose what is interesting. I am sorry to have to convey very unsatisfactory tidings respecting a gentleman well known to many of your readers, Mr. George Dobson, assistant district engineer. He was last seen at the Arnold township, and was intending to walk to Greymouth, paying the coal pits a visit on the way. Every effort has been made to ascertain the cause of his unusually long absence. Mr. Harman has received instructions to proceed m search, and no doubt something will be heard m the course of a day or two. Many, whose opinion may be relied upon, account for his non-appearance by saying that he might have met with an accident, such as a sprain or other injury, which would disable him, and necessitate his remaining m the neighborhood of the accident until recovered. No news is good news, and I sincerely trust our fears for his safety may be proved unnecessary.